mSpot offers new movie releases as streaming video

Online entertainment service mSpot is now offering a Netflix-like program for streaming movies. The service offers recent releases at the same time they go to DVD, giving mSpot a leg up on the competition.

Thus far, mSpot has approximately 6 million subscribers; Netflix subscribers count more than 20 million. But while mSpot can secure new releases the same day that studios release them on DVD, Netflix does not offer new releases for streaming: It has to wait as long as 28 days. There is, however, a limit on how many you can watch per month with the mSpot service, and Netflix is unlimited.

“Netflix’s problem is that it does not offer new releases as streaming videos. We can do that,” mSpot chief executive Darin Tsui said in an interview with VentureBeat.

The service is available on PCs, Macs, 10 mobile carriers, and 50 handsets. And an mSpot movie can be watched on a computer, paused, and then picked up on a mobile device.

Movies Club options: $1.99 to $3.99 per movie, or prepaid monthly movie credits:
$4.99 for 20 movie credits, or up to 4 movies.
$7.99 for 40 movie credits, or up to 8 movies.
$15.99 a month, offering 80 movies credits, or up to 16 movies.